Croatia commits to providing active support for women’s empowerment both domestically and internationally, combat stereotypes and aim for better work-life balance (updated)

The notion that women’s progress represents human progress lies at the core of Croatia’s national policy for gender equality, and it will continue to support women’s empowerment both domestically and internationally. This is and will remain one of Croatia’s major foreign policy priorities, with a focus on conflict and post-conflict societies.

It will actively support efforts to eliminate all forms of violence against women, and devote further work in Croatia and globally to vigorously combatting gender stereotypes, and raising public knowledge and awareness of gender equality.

Also essential is to enable women to balance private and professional obligations, including through increasing the provision of child care services.

Croatia will continue to work closely with other members of the Equal Futures Partnership and take an active role as a member of UN Women’s Executive Board.

Speaking at the Global Leaders' Meeting on 27 September 2015, President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović said: “The Beijing Platform for Action remains as relevant today as it was on the historic day of its adoption. We still have a long way to go to full implementation as no country has achieved full gender equality yet.”

Developments since Croatia’s commitment

At the national level, Croatia has worked towards women’s economic empowerment by undertaking specific measures, such as placing special emphasis on the employment of vulnerable groups, introducing support measures such as education, counselling, promotion of flexible types of work, providing childcare, etc., and having additional scores for the participation of women entrepreneurs in all projects eligible for state funding, as well as a special loan programme for women entrepreneurs (as a part of the comprehensive National Strategy of Women Entrepreneurship). The government has also adopted labour legislation containing the obligation of equal pay for men and women for work of equal value.

A new National Strategy of Protection against Domestic Violence for the period 2017–2022 is currently being drafted. The country is also currently drafting a new—fifth in a row—National Policy for Gender Equality (2017–2020). The CEDAW Committee’s recommendations from July 2015 will be included as priority goals and measures. [ Full update ]